Barbara Walters’ Last Day on “The View” is May 16

We’ve got a date: Barbara Walters will formally gave ABC her walking papers on May 16. The news veteran has set the date for her final episode of The View, according to an announcement from ABC News Monday. Barbara is expected to make the exit announcement herself during today’s edition of The View.

In the meantime, a spring of honors is in store for the hard-hitting broadcaster.

Babs will be the focus of a two-hour primetime retrospective special, reflecting on her extraordinary broadcasting career, later that night. Additionally, ABC News will rename its New York headquarters after Barbara in a special dedication ceremony set for sometime this spring.

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney/ABC, said in a statement:

“In this business there are legends, there are icons, and then there is Barbara Walters. She’s a dear friend and colleague as well as someone I deeply admire, and it’s impossible to fully convey her impact and influence on television. She broke barriers, defied convention, made history and set the standard for journalistic excellence for more than 50 years. It’s hard to imagine television without her.”

Barbara will no longer make appearances on The View, but she’ll continue to serve as executive producer of the daytime chatfest she introduced in 1997. She’ll also contribute occasional special reports for ABC News.